Student Profile: Meet Katelyn Barreca

Katelyn Barreca is a junior at Lutheran High School of Orange County and a participant in the OLO program. She recently offered her observations on her experience, starting with the first steps with her counselor.

"The initial process with my counselor was absolutely smooth. After I talked to him, I had a solid, basic understanding of the online program," she noted. "My questions were mostly technical in nature, like how to use newsgroups. After the first week, I started to feel more comfortable since I understood where to go and who to talk to, etc."

Katelyn spends approximately an hour or so per class online with about another hour each day online talking with her friends who are also in the online program. She has found that interaction with her online instructors can be richer than in a classroom setting. Describing herself as a somewhat "reserved person," she feels comfortable asking for help in the online setting. And the ability to communicate with her instructors later in the evening has been very helpful. Her questions are always answered fully within 24 hours.

She also observed that the online conversations between classmates are very productive because she can share her thoughts without interruption while typing. And she feels that it is easier to voice an opinion online without feeling that people are "judging you right then and there." She also enjoys exchanges with her classmates who are in both the online and ground classes with her.

In terms of parental involvement, Katelyn reported that her instructor took the initiative to request her mother's email address to forward Katelyn's grades. This approach enables her mother to track how she is doing and where she can improve, so they can work together toward success.

Katelyn also believes the online program would be an excellent option for summer school, since the work could be done on the student's preferred schedule and at home. As she noted, "All my friends love sleeping in so this would totally change their perception of summer school."

Asked whether she would recommend the online experience to others, Katelyn said, "I think this would be attractive to my friends. You can do it at your own time. Yes, it's at a faster pace, but at the same time, it's easy going. Secondly, you have amazing contact with your teacher. I personally know my online instructor better than I know some of my ground teachers, even though I've never seen her face-to-face."


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